What To Do With Expired Spices

How long have you had that go-to seasoning in your cabinet full of spices? What about those packets of condiments in the drawer or that flour in the pantry? Figuring out what to do with expired spices is a common dilemma, even for the busiest home cooks.

You may be wrestling in your mind with whether to hold on to expired spices and other food products just a bit longer or toss them out and start over.

We’re all encouraged to read food labels, but how do you read expiration dates on foods?  What do they really mean?

Here are some guidelines from formal agencies such as the USDA and tips from culinary professionals to help you decide what is best for your household.

How Do You Read Expiration Dates on Foods

When you look at products on shelves and in the freezer and refrigerator sections, dates are typically on the back to help guide consumers on how long products should remain available for purchase for the ultimate freshness.

According to the USDA, “Manufacturers provide dating to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of the best quality. Except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety and are not required by Federal law.”

In addition, there are four expiration or product labeling phrases that you will see on products:

1. Use-By labeling is not a safety date but a recommendation (keyword recommendation) as to when the product should be used or consumed to experience it at its peak quality. However, there is an exception and that is when printed on baby formula.
2. Sell-by date is used for the retailer’s inventory system to determine how long it should be on sale and available to customers.
3. Best If Used By/Before is a date the producer includes to indicate when the product will no longer be at its peak quality and when consumers should consume it.
4. Freeze-By date is when you should freeze a product to maintain peak quality.

Products such as milk can be consumed a few days after expiration, with the best indicators that it has gone bad being the color, texture and smell.  The Use-By date should be monitored since milk contains bacteria that can spoil and cause diseases.

This same best practice can be applied to dressings and oils. When they begin to smell or look bad, they should no longer be used or combined with those newly purchased.Knowing the meanings of these food product labels will be very helpful each time you shop.

What To Do With Expired Spices – Best Practices

The spices in our cabinets are some of the most treasured ingredients.  When asked what to do with expired spices, Jonathan Deutsch, a Drexel University culinary arts and science professor, says, “I really advise people to use their senses. If something looks okay, tastes okay, or smells okay, then it’s probably okay.”

He adds, “Manufacturers like short dates because they want you to throw it out and buy new, and retailers like long dates because they don’t want to have anything sitting on the shelf that has reached its sell-by date. But those are really marketing suggestions, so use your senses.”

For dry spices, the general concept is that they do not go bad. However, over time, they lose their zest, flavor and color. The less potent they are, the more you will need to use to achieve your desired flavor. This also means you could be adding more salt, which is something you’ll want to keep in mind.

 The Condiment Drawer – Keep or Toss    

When it comes to condiments, people tend to have more than their fair share, especially when provided with small packets from local food establishments.

If you notice, these packets generally do not have an expiration date. So, what should one do?

Wanda Blake, a chef based in San Francisco, California, shares, “It is such an automatic thing with people to ask for a lot of condiments, then stick them in a drawer. They then have a drawer full.”

She continues, “Number one, there is no expiration date on those condiment packets. Two, from a business standpoint, those packets are not cheap, but they are convenient.”

She recommends grabbing less than needed and putting unused packets in the refrigerator, which provides a longer shelf life. “You also see them more when you are opening and closing your refrigerator,” says the creator of Wanda’s Cooking Creole Spice, which is salt-free.

RELATED: 5 Essential Cooking Spices Every Kitchen Needs

Baking Goods and Storage

If you are a baker, you’ll want to keep the dates listed on products in mind.

Kevin Mitchell, the first African American instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, says, “Baking soda if it is unopened, can be kept for up to 18 months. If it has been opened, you have six months to use it for the best quality.”

Deutsch adds to this tip, saying, “A good technique is to store flour in the freezer, especially whole grain flour or corn meal. You don’t have to defrost it; you just pull it out and use it as you normally would.”

As for baking spices such as vanilla extract and flavorings, follow the guided dates printed on the bottles, ensuring they pass the smell and color tests once they have expired. Or, to be safe, simply toss and purchase new ones.

With inflation driving the costs of ingredients up, we all want things to go a little further, but not at the risk of getting sick. Be sure to become familiar with the four food product dating terms so that freshness and quality remain top of mind for new or recent purchases, and when the time comes, you now have a plan for what to do with expired spices.